Healing Mushroom Noodle Soup

• 10 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cups water
• 1.5 cups coarsely-chopped fresh cilantro
• 1.5 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed
• 3/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced plus 1/4 cup matchstick-size strips of peeled ginger
• 2 lemongrass stalks, outer dark layers removed, all but bottom 4 inches cut off and discarded
• 2 6-inch strips dried kombu
• 2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce, plus more to taste 
• 1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
• 5 ounces slender carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on diagonal
• 10 ounces brown rice noodles
• 1 cup sliced green onions
• Sambal oelek, to taste

Step 1

Make the broth base. Bring vegetable broth and 3 cups water to a simmer in large pot over medium heat. Add cilantro, mushrooms, 3/4 cup of sliced ginger and lemongrass. Cover and simmer until mushrooms are tender, about 30 minutes. Rinse kombu; add to broth. Simmer 1 minute. Using tongs to remove kombu and mushrooms. Discard the kombu and transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board. Remove and discard the stems. Cut each mushroom into 3 or 4 long strips. Strain broth through a fine-mesh strainer into another large pot; discard all solids in the strainer. Add 2 tsp tamari and the rice vinegar to the broth. Cover and chill mushrooms. Cool, cover, and chill the broth while you make the soup add-ins. Again, the broth can be made a day ahead.

Step 2

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook butternut squash until just tender, not soft, about 5-10 minutes. Using a skimmer, transfer the squash to a medium bowl. Add the carrots until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Use the skimmer to transfer the carrots to a different bowl. Reserve cooking liquid used to cook the vegetables. These vegetables can be cooked 2 hours ahead. Let vegetables and cooking liquid stand at room temperature.

Step 3

When you’re ready to eat, make the noodles. Bring cooking liquid to boil. Sprinkle with salt. Add brown rice noodles, and cook according to package instructions until al dente (still firm to bite), stirring often. Drain and rinse with cool water to halt cooking.  

Step 4

Meanwhile, remove the vegetable broth from the fridge, place it on the stove and bring it to a simmer. Add green onions and ginger strips. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 5

Using tongs, divide noodles among bowls. Divide mushrooms, squash and carrots among bowls, each in separate mound. Ladle broth over and serve, adding sambal oelek and tamari to taste..

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